How Juan Pablo brought The Bachelor back to reality

Juan Pablo Galavis starred in the 18th edition of "The Bachelor."

Photograph by: ABC/Craig Sjodin
, Postmedia News

In 18 seasons of The Bachelor, nobody has worked harder to compel a declaration of love than did Chris Harrison with Juan Pablo Galavis during Monday’s After the Final Rose episode. And when the reality host failed, 11 million people watched all five stages of grief play out across his face.

This is why, days later, tongues are still clucking over the hit show’s controversial conclusion: Not because ABC’s prince turned out to be a toad but rather because that toad publicly, petulantly refused to jump at producers’ command – and pulled back the curtain on one of TV’s longest running games of make-believe as a result.

“Juan Pablo is a giant twit on every possible level. But he was also very honest about what The Bachelor is, and what the relationships formed on the show really mean,” said Andy Dehnart, editor of RealityBlurred.com and director of journalism at Stetson University in Florida.

“I don’t think a lot of (participants) play along in the sense that they’re faking things for the show. But I do think they buy into the same narrative many viewers do: that on this whirlwind adventure, they can actually meet the love of their life — when it’s probably the worst possible way to meet your spouse.”

The CliffsNotes on Galavis’s season: Boy meets girls; boy angers girls with dubious behaviour; boy declines to propose to last woman standing, instead responding to her confession of love by saying, with a playboy wink, “I like you a lot.”

During the after-show, Harrison repeatedly tried to get Galavis to comply with The Bachelor’s fairy-tale formula by professing the Big L to winner Nikki Ferrell. Military Generals haven’t attacked from so many angles.

But in the end, ABC – along with the audience – would be left wanting by a man unwilling to divulge any details about his new relationship, for which you got the sense Galavis’s feelings ran about as deep as his abdominal crevices.

“Chris Harrison basically tried to bully (Galavis) into saying he loved someone,” said Dehnart, who was baffled by the last-ditch effort to salvage a “romance” that nobody – including ABC staff – seemed to believe.

“Even the set design for the final rose ceremony was just, like, ‘Ah, screw it.’ I’m sure by then they had a sense that the show wasn’t going to end the way it usually does.”

As for whether Galavis’s refusal to play by the rules will affect the show, which has proven bulletproof in the face of previous controversies, it’s doubtful. More likely, the wreckage will land directly on the outgoing Bachelor, who has already seen the Welcome mat at Dancing with the Stars pulled out from under him.

Dajana Fabjanovich, a long-time fan of The Bachelor, said while she respects Galavis’s prerogative to not propose marriage, it was “his job” to give viewers closure. A reality show veteran herself (Come Dine with Me Canada), the Edmonton woman described the process as a two-way street: you get, but you must also give.

“I know what reality TV is about, in that it’s not reality… But he owed us some respect,” said Fabjanovich. “Juan Pablo wasn’t just condescending and rude to Chris; he was rude to all of us watching. I think he’s a tool.”

“(The final episode) exposed the fascinating disconnect between veteran show producers stubbornly anchored in tradition and a star who doesn’t follow – and frankly, couldn’t care less about – the rules of the franchise.” ~ Emily Yahr, Washington Post

“Ladies, take note: Friends don’t let friends accept the final rose during The Bachelor when the bachelor is a misogynistic villain.” ~ Annie Georgia Greenberg, Refinery29

“I’m sorry that this show didn’t end up like you guys wanted it to.” ~ Juan Pablo Galavis, After the Final Rose

“(Juan Pablo) indirectly exposed the show for what it is: an empty, heavily orchestrated charade that makes no rational sense. The Bachelor may be entertaining and silly, but it’s a process people get really invested in. And while some hate-watch, others watch for the fairy tale, no matter how contrived or how damaging it is, with its reinforcement of outdated gender roles and, worse, its insistence on forcing a relationship inside an artificial context.” ~ Andy Dehnart, RealityBlurred

“I knew our audience wasn’t going to take his behaviour well, but I thought if we could at least show that in the end he’s happy and in love and I could get him to show some real emotion or feelings, it might help.” ~ Chris Harrison, Entertainment Weekly blog

“Treatment of Juan Pablo seemed to suggest that in the world of The Bachelor, it’s better to end up alone than with someone whom you’re enjoying dating and getting to know. That’s just so realistic, so logical, so anti-climactic, so real. Everything The Bachelor isn’t.” ~ Em & Lo, Huffington Post

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